Next To You
by LovexxxSakuraUchiha
Summary: DISCONTINUED
1. Twice Shy

**HI EVERYONE! This is my first attempt at fanfiction so please go easy on me although criticism is welcomed! I'm hoping that this story would be completed before the year ends ^_^ and I guarantee that i will update at least a few times a month! Well, I hope you enjoy! Please review at the end of the chapter :D**

**By the way, the story is in an AU.**

**Sasuke-16**

**Sakura-16**

**Naruto-16**

**Hinata-16**

**Ino-16**

**Shikamaru-16**

**Chouji-16**

**Kiba-16**

**Shino-16**

**Neji-17**

**Tenten-17**

**Lee-17**

**Kankuro-18**

**Gaara-16**

**Matsuri-16**

**Temari-17**

**Akatuski gang including Itachi but excluding Orochimaru-22 (Sasori is 18)**

**Summary:**

**Sakura and Sasuke mended their crack friendship after a confession that caused years of awkward silence. It is now their junior year, and just as their bond was growing stronger, Sakura messed it up again. What's worse is that she lives right next to him. FHL (Fuck her life)**

***Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN NARUTO D:***

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"I'm sorry."

Shock flashed through me in a jolt as I started silently hyperventilating. Sasuke stared at me with his obsidian eyes. I stared back, wavering as I desperately searched for an answer through his expressionless eyes. But of course, I found none. I parted my dry lips.

"Sorry?"

I received no response. I gripped the edges of my skirt tightly. _I am so pathetic. _I lowered my head, my pink bangs shielding me from his emotionless stare. My head snapped back again when he spoke.

"I just don't like you that way."

I felt a painful sting in my chest. _No! I will NOT cry over him again! No...not like last time._ I couldn't speak as he turned around and walked away. I watched him until all I saw were a blur of tears forming in my vision. _Damn. I wasn't supposed to cry! _

Slowly, I turned around too and walked home the same way Sasuke had walked. Reaching my house, I stopped to stare at the light in a window. It was Sasuke's room, and when I thought about his rejection, I quickly turned away and walked to the door of my house, bending down to pick up the spare key under the doormat. This is great. Not only had I probably ruined our friendship _again_, it was also going to be extremely awkward between us. Again. I sighed. _I never learn do I? _

With a quick twist of my wrist, I opened the door quietly, and stepped inside, shutting it behind me. I kicked off my black converse and dragged my feet up the stairs. Everyone else was fast asleep. Opening the door to my bedroom, I looked out my window to see that the light that was recently on was obviously turned off. Instead, the pitch black depth of Sasuke's silk curtains blocked the outside world from peeping in. I looked away. I quickly changed into my Mickey Mouse pajamas, turned off my light and went to bed. Or at least, attempted to.

That night, dreams of his blank expression and the painful confession rejection processed through my brain. I tossed and turned, tears seeping underneath my eyelids but not spilling. I suddenly sat up, realizing that it was useless trying to sleep. I did the only thing a girl would do in this situation. I reached over to grab my Hello Kitty telephone and dialed a very familiar number. It rang four times before she finally picked up.

" In case you haven't noticed, Forehead, it's 2am in the morning." Ino's drowsy and irritated voice seeped through.

"I'm sorry for waking you up, Ino...but I can't sleep. I-it's about Sasuke_._" I sensed Ino's immediate perkiness.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her voice coming out strong and alert.

"I told him to meet me in that park near our neighborhood. And of course, to avoid the awkwardness of leaving the same area at the same time, I watched him leave his house first before I got out of the house." _Wait, I could have just asked him to go out to his balcony so I could talk_ _to him from my balcony. _After an awkward moment of face palming myself in my mind, I resumed confessing to Ino.

"Ino, I did something really stupid. I... confessed to him for the second time, 'cause I thought that his opinion of me changed you know? I thought I was safely in his comfort zone after we started actually getting to know each other better." Pathetic emotion clogged my throat.

"But-" I gave a short, bitter laugh."He rejected me. Not surprising right?" I heard Ino take a sharp intake of breath.

"Oh that bastard! Sakura, why didn't you kick his ass?" Ino fumed.

"Ino-pig, this is Sasuke we're talking about. Not Naruto or Sai!"

"You have a point." She grudgingly admitted.

A silence ensued. Then I heard Ino release a quick sigh.

"Forehead, come with me and the girls tomorrow after school to the mall. You need girl time, and you are SO getting it. Oh and you wanted to cut your hair right? You keep complaining about it." I knew that on the other end, Ino was "innocently" twirling her hair and grinning like that creepy Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland.

I pondered on the invitation that I knew was more of a demand than anything. I inwardly sighed. I DID need that haircut. My long pink hair reached to my waist, and it was getting so annoying.

" Well, sure. Thanks for talking to me Ino. Sorry for interrupting your beauty sleep."

"You know I'd do anything for you, Sakura. I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Okay, bye." We hung up. Smiling a little, I sank under my covers and over an endless time period, I finally grew drowsy, and the next time my eyelids fluttered open, it was morning.

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**A/N: Well, that was the first chapter :) Please review! If you review, I will update frequently or at least for now because it is winter break. Thank you! Oh, by the way, the picture links of some of the mentioned clothes and items in the story can be viewed on my profile :)**

Oh and by the way, if any of you read Shellzonfire's That Damn Neighbor!, you would think my story is very similiar to hers. Well, this fanfic IS inspired by her fanfic, and i just wrote something that is MY version of what would've happened next after Sasuke rejects Sakura. Our idea is very similiar but I assure you that I did not copy her. KthxBai! :)


	2. The First Freaking Day

**A/N: I re-edited the chapter :)**

**REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Meh. **

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It was the first day of my second year at Konoha Private High School.

I pulled myself from bed and walked over to my walk-in closet, pushed open the sliding doors and pattered in, looking for my uniform. _Aha._ I took the hanger off and stepped back outside the closet. I quickly changed.

Standing in front of my tall wall-attached mirror, I straightened the tie that was a uniform requirement, even for girls attending the school. My uniform was made up of a white short-sleeved collared shirt, a plain black silk tie, short light gray and dark gray plaid skirt, knee-high black socks and black leather platform flats. I brushed my long hair and put it into a side ponytail. I applied lip gloss and mascara, grabbed my school bag, and then bursted out the room,bounding down the stairs. Yeah, I got rejected again by a certain duck-ass haired bastard, but it was the first day of the second year for heaven's sake! Thinking about him again slightly-just slightly dampened my spirits. Brushing off all thoughts involving Sasuke, I grabbed an apple and ran out the front door, the black bag slapping against my thigh.

"Good luck on the first day honey!" I heard my okaa-san call out.

Looking around, I saw Sasuke emerge from his own house.

_Well, shit._ Putting on a bright but fake smile, I called out, "Morning, Sasuke!" He looked up at me with a startled look that lasted all but one split second before his usual stoic face settled back.

"Morning." _Yes, I got a reply_! I remember the last time, he wouldn't even look at me let alone greet me back. I smiled a real smile.

"It's the second year, huh? I can't wait for what is to come this year," I rambled on, following Sasuke to school. It was just a few blocks away, the rooftop of the grand building peeking over the trees.

"Hn."

I sighed. So much for conversation. _At least we're almost there. _

Konoha is a private school in Tokyo. It was a place for rich kids like Sasuke, me, and most of my friends. My group of friends were the only group that isn't snobby though-with the exception of Neji Hyuuga, the cousin of one of my best friends (Hinata Hyuuga), and the boyfriend of my other best friend, Tenten Ushimoto.

The silence that had fallen between Sasuke and me had an air of tension but surprisngly, it was slightly tolerable. I felt a spark of hope erupt somewhere in my heart. I grimaced, and squished down that sliver of my doom. _He probably just doesn't want to have to experience THAT again_.

We climbed the stairs to the front door of the magnificent structure and walked in with the crowd of students. Everyone had received their schedules in their mail and the upperclassmen, including my gang, already knew the way around so Sasuke and I found our homeroom easily. We had Kakashi-sensei again this year, like we did every year since we first attended Konoha Private. He was cool though, so it wasn't a problem with anyone at all.

Quickly stepping around Sasuke's lean figure, I grabbed the doorknob before his hand touched it and wrenched it open. Immediately, two blurs of blonde pounced on me.

"Nar-u-t-to-I-cc-can't breathe y-you- baka!" Almost immediately as if in shame, Naruto let go of me before he had to face my fists. Ino still clung onto me. I tried to shake her off, but to no avail. I blew at my bangs.

"Ino. Get. Off." Ino reluctantly let go. Naruto still stood sheepishly, a wide grin spreading on his face.

"Sorry about that Sakura-chan, I was just so happy to see you! Teme too. Oi, teme! Did you just flip me off? You bastard!" Naruto threw a punch which teme-I mean _Sasuke, _caught.

"Hn." Sasuke pushed Naruto aside and walked to an empty seat.

"Teme! Don't you 'hn' me! Come back here you-" Naruto was cut off when a small, pale hand touched his shoulder.

"N-N-Naruto-kun, i-it's alr-r-right." Hinata's hand lingered on his shoulder before slipping off. She fidgeted with strands of her long, midnight colored hair. Naruto immediately relaxed. Ooh. Someone likes someone and the other someone likes the OTHER someone ba-ack! I grinned inwardly.

"Heh, sure,Hinata-chan, if you say so!' Naruto smiled down at the blushing Hinata. Giggling, Ino and I went to take a seat, Hinata and Naruto following suit. Everyone was chattering quietly and laughing when Kakashi-sensei entered the classroom.

"Kakashi-sensei! You're fifteen minutes late!" Naruto pointed out.

"Sorry class, I was-"

"LIAR!" Kakashi-sensei sweat-dropped.

"Well...ANYWAY, i guess you don't really need to know all the boring introduction crap about the school rules since most of you already know them. Do whatever you want until the period is over," Kakashi-sensei pulled out his usual orange Icha Icha Paradise book and started reading.

I rolled my eyes. Typical. Ino immediately started babbling about our trip to the mall after school. I tuned in and out every now and then, my concentration drifting to the dark haired boy sitting a few rows away. He was surrounded by Naruto, who was making wild gestures, Shikamaru, the lazy cloud-watching class genius, Sai, the pale skinned dark-haired boy who has trouble with expressing his emotions, Kiba, the loud and brash dog lover, Chouji, the "big-boned" orange-haired guy who was always seen with a bag of chips, and Shino, a quiet boy who hid behind his shades and has a weird obsession with bugs.

Sasuke mumbled something, and all eight pairs of eyes swiveled in my direction. I quickly glanced away and pretended I hadn't been staring. I felt the heat creep up my neck. _Were they talking about me? _

_Brrrinng!_

I bolted to second period, ignoring Ino as she called after me. My feet skidded to a halt in front of Kurenai-sensei's literature class and I calmed myself down before striding confidently into the room.

The rest of the day went by smoothly, and I bumped in Sasuke a couple of times but I masked my earlier uneasiness with quick smiles. The only big issue that happened was during calculus, when one of Sasuke's snobby fangirls named came up to me while the teacher was out of the room and loudly proclaimed that Sasuke was hers. Tch, stupid Karin. Sasuke was nobody's property.

I rounded the corner and saw Sasuke leaning against my locker._ Was he waiting for me? _I smiled a little.

"Hey, Sasuke. Were you waiting for me?" We started walking out the main doors.

"Hn. My mom said I had to be a gentleman," He smirked.

"Well, mama's boy, thanks for trying to be a _gentleman_ for me," I laughed, but then I stopped.

_Wait, if he's acting like this, that means that my confession meant nothing to him! _My eyes widened as my heart dropped. I didn't realized I had stopped walking until I heard his steady and heavy steps pause. I looked up to find him staring at me with a casual raised eyebrow.

_He really doesn't care. _I resumed walking again, with that repeating thought planted firmly in my mind.

_He doesn't care_.

_He doesn't care._**

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****A/N: So, what did you think? The part when Ino and Sakura and the rest of the girls go shopping will be in the next chapter! don't worry, I didn't forget that part xD Please Read, _Review,_ and Alert!**


	3. Gatherings

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AHAHA EIGHT REVIEWS! And a bunch of alerts and favorites :D HEY DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW YOU PEOPLE WHO _ONLY _STORY ALERT! Thank you for the tips Seynee and the encouragement, gaarafangirl14!

A/N: This chapter is longer than the first two :)

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO.**

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I decided to wear my black and white striped boyfriend tee that revealed the smooth skin of my right shoulder, my ripped light gray skinny jeans, and red flats. I grabbed my mini faux leather Domo shoulder purse and threw in my pale pink LG GD580 cellphone, my Chococat wallet, and some pieces of gum and a tiny plastic box of breath mints. I walked downstairs and waved my parents goodbye.

"I'll be home around 5!" I yelled, as I opened the door.

"Okay, have fun!" My dad yelled back.

I walked out to find Ino's new BMW SUV waiting at the curb. I hopped in and closed the door.

"S-S-Sakura-ch-chan!" Hinata embraced me awkwardly as I fumbled with the seatbelt. I laughed out loud as she pulled away quickly after realizing her bad timing.

"S-s-sorry Sakura-ch-chan," She stuttered.

"Nah, it's alright," I replied with a grin. She was so cute! I gave her a once over. She was wearing an adorable spaghetti-strapped lavender sundress with an intricate geometric design embroidered at the bodice and at the hem, Native-Indian styled People Avery sandals and carried a neutral-colored bag that was decorated with a huge bow. Her long hair was swept to one side. Frowning, I realized something.

"Hey Hinata-chan, aren't you cold?"

"U-um not really. It's g-g-going to b-be warm in the m-mall, isn't it?" She self-conciously played with her hair. I face palmed myself. She looked startled at my action.

I think I scared her.

Of course! How could I forget? Konoha Mall is huge, awesome, and has perfect heating on cold days and air conditioning on the warm days.

"Gah! I forgot. Anyway, you look really cute, Hinata-chan!" Ino and somebody else chuckled.

_Wait, somebody else?_ I peeked around the seat in front of me.

"Tenten! Oh my gosh I didn't see you at school today! Oh my god I've missed you so much!" I reached out as far as I could, and succeeded in hugging Tenten when our arms met halfway. She giggled.

"Oh, you know, I was with Neji, Lee, and the rest of the third-years on the last floor. I'm pretty sure I'll see you guys more later on in the year. Anyway, how are you? Oh and have you guys wondered about the new system?"

Ino piped up before I could speak, "What new system?"

Tenten sighed.

"You guys didn't know?"

"Kakashi-sensei didn't tell us anything. Care to explain for us?" I said. Tenten shifted in her seat.

"Well, apparently the school system has been changed to a more American system. Instead of starting school in the springtime, our school year starts in the early fall. You guys didn't notice that at all? I mean, come on! Our first day, _today_, is September twenty-first!"

Hinata timidly spoke, "Er-err I noticed. B-b-but it doesn't r-really matter-r. S-school b-beg-gun and n-nobody is c-complain-ning."

" Yeah, she has a point. Annnnd We're here!" Ino chirped cheerfully, pulling up to an available parking space. We hopped out and Ino pressed on the 'lock' button of her customized set of keys. The BMW's lights flashed and dimmed. Ino swaggered up to the glass revolving doors in her dark skinny denim Capri, tight purple T-shirt decorated with a phrase continuum of I Love Me in silver, and black ankle boots. We pushed in, our faces hit by a light, warm breeze of the air inside. We speed-walked to my favorite salon, Love That, ignoring the ogling (and hot) guys. It was like this every time we visit the mall. Ino loves it, I tolerate it, Tenten hates it, and Hinata is frightened by the attention.

I entered the salon first, and was immediately whisked to an empty spinning stool.

"Sakura _dah-ling, _how is your mother?" greeted Maria, an American professional hair stylist. She was my mother's colleague when they were studying abroad in Australia. I had met her a couple of times before, and I really like how she unconsciously slips into English every now and then.

I grinned, "She's doing pretty good," as Maria draped a heavy, rubbery cloth around my shoulders.

Maria's pleasantly smiled at me in the large vanity mirror.

"Well, that's good to hear. How is her work coming along?" She was talking about my okaa-san's apparel company, One of Us. It was as popular as USA's Forever 21.

"There has been a steady increase of profit. The company is doing really well."

"I am so glad! I haven't visited her in some time. Maybe next weekend. Now, how do you want your hair?"

I hesitated, looking back at where Ino, Hinata, and Tenten sat in red leather couches. I turned my head back at the mirror.

"I want it cut to my shoulders and choppily layered, but leave the bangs as they are." I knew I was taking a risk; my hair has been down to my waist for as long as I can remember, but I felt confident and sure as Maria started working her magic. I closed my eyes as the _snip,snip,snip _sounds glided around the back of my head.

Before long, Maria righted my head up, my eyes fluttering open. I gasped.

_Holy, shmoly, Im in love! _Maria giggled at my expression.

"I take that you like it?" I finally found my voice, but I was still gaping like a freaky goldfish.

"Like it? I _fucking love _it! Thank you SO much!" A hysterical but happy laugh escaped my throat. Maria laughed in amusement. I threw off the cloth and skipped to where my friends sat. Ino glanced up and let out a squeal. She dropped the _Teen Vogue_ magazine she had been reading and fussed over me like a fawning fan girl.

"Forehead! You look so _hot _and so rebellious! So glad I brought you here today!"

"Sakura, dayum girl! That hairstyle is going to bring Sasuke to his knees for sure," commented Tenten. My smile vanished.

"Sasuke? Ino! What did you-"

Ino cut me off, "Everyone knows you like him, baka!" I groaned.

"S-Sakura-chan, I l-like your h-hair style,"Hinata smiled. My smile appeared again.

"Thanks, Hinata-chan!"

I leaned in to her ear and whispered, "Thanks for changing the topic." Hinata merely nodded.

"Whatever. C'mon, let's go shopping!" Ino wrapped an arm around me and Hinata, dragging us to the door, Tenten trailing after us. I loved shopping, but I found it to be much more relaxing when nobody was with me, although shopping with friends IS a lot of fun.

We went to Hot Topic, Sechuna, Strom, a department store, and Morning Glory, a store that sells Hello Kitty, Domo, Monokuro Boo, Rilakkuma, and other Japanese character icons, and a recently established Forever 21. Konoha Mall was a big center of stores from around the world, but mostly the popular apparel companies from countries like USA.

I bought a black Hello Kitty Nerd sweater from Hot Topic, an oversized Minnie Mouse sequined top from Forever 21, a Gucci bag and a Dior leather jacket from Strom's, and a Tare Panda plushie from Morning Glory.

Hinata bought a Dior strapless white, ruched dress that went down to her knees. Tenten bought a Domo hat from Morning Glory, a vividly-colored Ed Hardy hoodie from Strom's, and surprisingly, bright pink, peep-toe heels from Sechuna.

"Tenten, have you grown out of your tomboy bubble?" Ino gasped out, pointing to the large Strom's bag looped on Tenten's arm. Tenten blushed.

"It's for a family dinner party my parents planned," she mumbled. Ino's lips formed an "o". I raised an eyebrow. I bet on Naruto's ramen coupons that Tenten's mom bought her a pink dress therefore forcing the idea of pink heels on Tenten. As Chinese people say, aiyah! I eyed Ino's shopping bags. Out of all of us, Ino bought the most items. Let's see, a casual flower print skirt from Forever 21, black acid washed skinny jeans from Forever 21, tan Oxfords from Strom, a white blazer from Strom, electric blue leggings from Strom, a giant Hello Kitty plushie, a panda pillow, and a giant Domo plushie from Morning Glory, and a black button-up jacket from Hot Topic. That's at _least_ two hundred American bucks.

Shopaholic much?

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"Thanks for making me go to the mall with you guys, Ino-pig. I had fun," I said, as I opened the car door and stepped out.

"No problem, Billboard-Brow. Anytime. We'll see you at school tomorrow! Along with the bastard. See you!"

"See y-you l-later!" Hinata cried out from the rolled down window of the backseat. Tenten waved at me and I waved back, grinning. I turned around as Ino's car drove away, and noticed that the garage door of Sasuke's house was open. I boldly walked up to his driveway. I'm going to show him that I wasn't a timid little kid like I was a few years ago. Besides, I want to see his reaction when I show him my new hair.

"Hello? Sasuke? What are you doing?" I asked, entering his premises. He was standing beside his shiny black Ferrari. He looked up at me, then looked back at his car. His head snapped back, his gorgeous onyx eyes widening a fraction as he eyed my short locks. I set my shopping bags down and pretended that I wasn't gleeful at his reaction. I eyed him warily.

"Your hair," Sasuke said. Running my fingers through my hair, I replied, "Yeah, my hair. What about it?"

I saw him hesitate.

"It's...cute." My eyes widened as I blushed furiously. Holy crappy happy me! HE SAID I WAS CUTE! Err, that my HAIR was cute! I smiled stupidly. _Aw, crap, now I'm all giggly and retarded!_

Sasuke's gaze slipped from my hair to the Ferrari. _Thank god._

"I just finished washing my car."

I looked to the corner, noticing a lonesome bucket of used water and a wet rag lying on the ground.

"Oh."

"Hn." I looked at Sasuke, trailing my eyes from his black Nikes to his skinny black jeans where a noticeable but small portion of his tomato-printed boxers was visible when he lifted his arm to run his long fingers through raven hair, to his red muscle shirt, and finally, to his face, where a smirk was in place when he saw what I was doing. I blushed. Oops. A flashback of the confession and his rejection flashed through my mind and my blush faded away, the atmosphere turning cold. I opened my mouth to confront him about it but closed it when he spoke.

"My mom wants your family over for dinner tonight. Your mom probably already knows but my mom wants me to be the one who tells you."

I let out a breath as the atmosphere turned warmer.

"Okay, I guess I'll be seeing you in a few hours then," I replied as I bent down to pick up my bags and walked out of the garage. I heard a faint 'hn' behind me. Dinner with Sasuke's family occurred often, and sometimes I was happy, but not today. I grimaced. I knocked on my front door.

"Sakura-chan! Did I tell you that Mikoto-chan invited us over for dinner? And oh my god! Your hair is so cute! You got your style from me," My okaa-san cooed after she opened the door to let me in. My dad appeared in the foyer.

"No, she got it from me," My dad worked as the manager of a section of the Uchiha Corp, a very successful trend company owned by Sasuke's father, Fugaku. Ha, and the whole next-door-neighbor thing really started off _their _friendship.

"Thanks okaa-san! Oh, and Sasuke told me," I replied as I raced up the stairs, opening my bedroom door and entering. I threw the bags on my bed, flinging open the sliding doors of my closet. Knowing the Uchihas, any kind of gathering or party is always going to be semi-formal or black tie.

_Okay, the mission to find a super cute dress to a dinner with family friends has begun._

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I smoothed down the front of my bright red fitting cocktail dress. It was strapless, and showed off a modest portion of my long, tanned legs, and showed off my curves. It wasn't something slutty, but it wasn't so innocent either. It worked on me though, so I was purely satisfied with myself.

I brushed my short locks, humming a little tune to myself. I opened up a drawer, rummaging through it until I found a pair of black tights decorated with vines and flowers. After spending a few aggravating minutes jumping around putting them on, I grabbed a pair of black patent pumps and headed out downstairs, where my okaa-san was dressed in an elegant long-sleeved, empire-waist black dress and black heels and my otou-san was clad in a neatly tucked-in gray collared shirt, a navy blue tie, tan-colored trousers and black leather shoes.

"Sakura, don't forget a blazer. We might be just going next door, but it's still a bit chilly out," okaa-san chided. I rolled my eyes, running back up the stairs to my room, and grabbed a slim black blazer from the closet. I ran back down the stairs, adding quicker speed and managed to dash out the door just as it was closing.

"Gee, could have waited for me a bit longer..." I muttered. My dad smiled apologetically.

We climbed the steps to the Uchiha Mansion. Before I could ring the doorbell, the door opened, revealing Mikoto Uchiha in a flowing navy blue halter chiffon dress and navy blue heels. She enveloped me in a warm hug.

"Sakura-chan! You look so pretty!" I took in her signature scent of cinnamon and vanilla. I looked over her shoulder to clash eyes with obsidian. I held in a surprised gasp. Mikoto let go and went to greet my parents. I walked to the dining table where a still chandelier was hanging from the ceiling, a few feet above the table. Silver plates of famous American dishes like filet mignon, were set in one section of the table. There were also plates of seafood and Szechuan dishes set on the rest of the table. It was an amazing and yummy sight, especially with that hot, emo guy slouching in his seat over there. I sat down across from him and put on a believable smile.

"Hn."

"That was a 'hi' right?"

"Hn." Sasuke looked down at his currently empty plate. He had changed into a slim black collared shirt. The long sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. I peeked down to see that a black leather men's shoe had settled between my own feet, my gaze moving up to see his legs clad in light gray khakis. I looked up at him. He stared at my face, then traveled downwards, stopping at my chest. _What the fuck?_

"The top of your dress looks weird."

I sputtered, "_What?_" I looked down at my chest, and realized what he was talking about. The top of the dress was folded in a _unique _design.

"It is NOT weird!"

"Hn."

My face burned. Luckily, the parents had arrived at the table. I was saved from further verbal insults from Sasuke. The evening dragged on, the food was delicious and my mood lifted whenever Mikoto would turn to make conversation with me, but turned dark again right after. That stupid chicken-ass haired jerk! _Didn't even apologize for being so rude. What happened to mama's little boy?_ I thought bitterly.

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"That was a nice dinner, Mikoto-chan! Good night!" my okaa-san embraced Mikoto as she stepped out the door. I followed suit.

"Thank you for inviting us over, Mikoto-san," I politely said.

"Oh, quit the formalities! We've been neighbors and family friends for years!"

"Well, okay. Is Mikoto-chan all right?"

"Of course!" Mikoto-chan smiled brightly at me before hugging me good night. I turned around to leave.

"Sakura."

I stopped walking. I turned around slowly, weariness masking my shock. The door of the Uchiha mansion was closed, and Sasuke stood on the steps, the moonlight highlighting his beautiful hair. It was like being in the presence of a graceful and powerful ninja or something. I was silent as he walked down the steps and strode to where I was standing like a statue.

"You forgot this." He held out something to me. I realized it was my blazer. I had taken it off during the dinner when it was getting warm in the room. My tense demeanor relaxed. I reached out to take the blazer, tugging it, but Sasuke didn't let go. My eyes met his, and I swore that something flickered in those eyes, but it was gone before I could ponder on the thought. My breathing quickened.

"Sasuke?"

That seemed to snap him out of it. He let go of the blazer.

"Hn. Good night." He turned around and opened his door, stepping inside and shutting the door. I stood in a daze. _What just happened?_

"Sakura, are you coming in or are you just going to stand there?" My otou-san called from the doorway of my house, breaking my thoughts.

"Coming!" I took one last glance at the Uchiha mansion, and then ran to my doorsteps, disappearing behind the door.

I didn't sleep well that night.

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**A/N: This chapter was 3000 something words in all. Whew, it was fun to type :D Well, you better review, REVIEW, review, REVIEW or i won't update! (goal: 15 reviews by the time the week is over.) KTHXBAI~**


	4. Kamisama

**A/N: A slow but steady increase of reviews :] Yay! XD This is the 4th chapter and beware, it's REALLY short. The 5th chapter will be really long and this chapter is to prepare for it so...**

**~~~Enjoy~~~**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. :Y**

* * *

"He insulted your dress?" Ino screeched. I winced at the eardrum-piercing shrill of her high-pitched voice.

"Be quiet a little, it's still too early to be yelling in someone's ear!"

"But he insulted your dress! That is a huge blow to a girl's ego!"

"Girls have egos?"

"DUH!"

"I think it's called 'pride'," I reasoned. Ino grabbed my shoulders and shook me, "HE INSULTED A ONE-OF-A-KIND DRESS!"

Frustratingly, I pushed Ino off. She was way too close to my face.

"I get it, and yeah I was pissed too but that's NOT the worse part!" Fuming, I started pacing back and forth in my bedroom. Ino rolled her eyes and flopped down on the ironed pink and blue Hello Kitty duvet.

"What did you expect? You called me first thing in the morning, wanting to tell me something important, so I sprinted-"

"In your car?"

"NO, but my car did! It sprinted to your house, and I hopped off and power-walked to your gigantic wooden doors, waiting for you to open them up, and then I was rushed into your awesomely bright room, and the first thing you say when you're telling the story is that he said your Atria cocktail dress was _weird._" She stared me down while she was ranting, and slowly, her words made sense. _Wow, am I slow today._

"OKAY, I'm sorry! I forgot that you love every freaking piece of clothing I own," I spat.

I was definitely not a morning person.

Ino had calmed down by now, her heavy breathing turning silent.

"So, his eyes. You saw something?"

"I don't know if it was my imagination, but the more I think about it, the more I am sure that what I had seen was there..." I trailed off, deep in my thoughts. _What was he thinking? And the way he was staring at me...it was so __**intense**__._

"-ead? Hello? FOREHEAD!" I snapped out of my brooding thoughts to zone in on my surroundings. Ino was in my face, yet again. I irked a pink eyebrow in annoyance.

"You're in my bubble."

"And you're zoning out on me," Ino retorted. She sighed, turning to face the window. Suddenly, Ino gasped out loud and ran to open the glass doors of my balcony, peering at something. Alarmed, I followed her, imitating the way she leaned over the ledge.

"What? What is it?"

Ino gaped, not speaking.

"Ino-pig! Tell me what you're staring-" My eyes widened.

Oh.

My.

Kami-sama.

**

* * *

****So, any guesses what they were staring at? ;) **


	5. It's Just Me

**A/N: Sorry for the last chapter It ended with a major cliffy and I hate reading stories that have those kinds of cliffhangers but it makes the whole thing more interesting, don't you think? :) **

**LEGNA-Yes, I am aware of what Kami means. After all, this chapter shows you what got Ino and Sakura riled up, and I've read about the meaning of Kami before and the way I kind of put it in the story doesn't change anything so, no worries xD Thanks for pointing it out though :]**

**I know I haven't updated in a while...well, I was busy with high school and its dramas and projects...Sorry Oh and this chapter isn't as long as I had wanted it to be, but if it went on longer, the chapter would be sort of rough, in a sense so-let's just say it's between 3000-4000 words. I wanted to make it to at least 5000-6000 words but it's not working out. I'm sorryyyy! DX**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto **

**

* * *

**

It was the summer of the third year of junior high. Naruto planned a pool party using Sasuke's pool. Sasuke had been annoyed, but he gave in when _both _Naruto and I begged him.

That day was probably the most memorable day of my _entire_ life.

Can you guess why?

By the time I had changed into my red bandini top and bikini bottom, everyone was having the time of their lives, splashing around, jumping in the pool, or in other cases, like Ino's, suntanning. Naruto

was running around with water balloons, aiming at Kiba and Lee. I had let my hair down that day, a warm breeze lifting up pale pink strands, as I entered Sasuke's backyard with a confident strut.

It was my first time wearing a sexy bathing suit, so even though I had looked confident, I was a ball of nerves on the inside, especially when all eyes (including Sasuke's) were on me. Or rather, my

body.

Ino was the only one not paying attention, but of course, what was to expect from a perfectly relaxed, and probably sleeping, girl?

"SAKURA-CHAN! MY YOUTHFUL CHERRY BLOSSOM THAT FINALLY BLOSSOMS INTO A MORE YOUTHFUL AND BEAUTIFUL BOSOM! ERR-ERR I MEAN BLOSSOM!" exclaimed Lee. I grimaced inwardly at his 

_enthusiasm._

"Um, th-thank you Lee," I stuttered. Ino had slowly sat up then, disturbed by Lee's loud comment. She shook out her high ponytail, redoing it, before getting up and walking towards me in a dark

purple halter bikini, looping her arm around mine.

"You look really hot! What did I tell you? Even Sasuke is staring! " She whispered. I blushed furiously, casting a glance at Sasuke, who was sitting upright in his lounge beach chair. He looked away,

scowling and I noticed a pink tint on his pale cheeks, but that could have just been the sun, right?

Right?

* * *

Ino and I were leaning way over the ledge of the balcony. Beside Uchiha's pool, the exact place I showed off my bikini body those few years ago, the tender year that Sasuke had began talking to me

again, was Sasuke AND Itachi, his older brother, shirtless and wet, having just climbed out of the clear water of the chlorinated pool from a morning swim.

"I-is it just me, or did it get kind of hot out here?" Ino stuttered, leaning back,fanning herself. I looked at her quickly before turning my head back to ogle Sasuke's six-pack and Itachi's _eight_-pack. _Wow._

I haven't seen Itachi around lately since he was away at Konoha University, and I giggled out loud as I remembered that I had fainted when I saw his abs for the first time.

"Hey Ino, how about we go down there and talk to them? Itachi hasn't been around for a while so-" Ino grabbed my arm and pulled me through the balcony doors, out of my bedroom, down the

stairs,and out the front door, thinking enough to close the door softly. I laughed as she let go of my arm and entered the Uchiha's backyard.

"Itachi!" I squealed, sprinting, and jumped into Itachi's arms. He almost toppled over.

"Sakura! Pleasant early morning surprise. How is my favorite cherry blossom?" I inhaled his masculine scent that was mingled with chlorine.

"I'm doing okay. Why are you here though, Itachi? I thought you were at college," I lifted myself from his neck, pouting flirtatiously at him. With my peripheral vision, I noticed that Sasuke was glaring

at us and I smirked inwardly.

"Ahem. Move over Forehead, it's my turn," Ino coughed. I grunted, and Itachi put me down gently. Ino hugged Itachi quickly, pulled back to look him over, then started giggling hysterically. Oh. _Kay. _I

rolled my eyes and grabbed Ino's hand.

"We saw you from my room so we decided to say hi. School is going to start soon so I guess we'll talk to you later? Are you staying for a while Itachi?"

"For a week. Konoha University doesn't officially begin until the last day of September. I'll see you later."

"Well okay, bye Itachi! Bye Sasuke," I called out, dragging Ino with me.

"So, how come you didn't greet them, Sasuke?" Itachi turned to his brother, who was absently drying his hair with a towel. With a groan, he threw the towel onto a nearby lounge beach chair and

walked inside the mansion. Itachi shrugged, following him and shutting the glass doors quietly.

* * *

"A house party?" I echoed. Naruto was leaning his face into his hands, a big grin fixated on his whiskered face.

"Yeah! At Sasuke-teme's house! His parents will be out next weekend so I got this idea ya know?" His grin grew bigger, and for a second I wondered if he ever grew tired of grinning so much. Nah.

"Er, does Sasuke mind?" I asked uncertainly, glancing at where Sasuke was sitting quietly a couple of seats away, staring out the window with a distant look in his dark eyes. It has been awkward since the occurrence this morning. _I wonder if he was jealous...no...I wish._

"Oh of course he doesn't mind! We haven't had a house party in a while so with my awesome persuasion skills, he gave in!" Naruto turned in his seat, cupping a hand to his mouth.

"Oi, teme! We can have a party at your house next weekend right?" Sasuke turned his head away from the window, glaring at Naruto for interrupting his thoughts. He "hn'ed", glanced at me for a split millisecond, then turned back to the window.

I looked at him quizzically. _What was up with him? Well, besides that usual pole stuck up in his ass... _

"See, Sakura-chan? He said yes!" Naruto turned back to face me, a mischievous glint in his big blue orbs. I chuckled lightly. That's definitely Naruto for you.

"Well, who are we inviting?" I straightened my posture, getting down to business.

* * *

"Woo-hoo! This party is _just_ getting started!" Naruto yelled out, climbing on a table. He leaned out and grabbed Hinata's hand, catching her by surprise when he gently tugged her up with him.

"C'mon Hinata-chan! Let's dance!" Hinata blushed, slowly starting to move her hips from side to side to the beat of the bass drop mixed with the english version of SHINee's Hello.

I unconsciously smiled.

_When I act like this I realize I'm actually young  
_

_[She's] right in front of me but I don't know what to do  
_

_How do did you start love?  
_

_People who have loved please tell me  
_

_Will there be a day when I hold her hand?  
_

_Will there be a day when I kiss her above her closed eyes?_

_Hello Hello I acted confidently  
_

_Hello Hello I want to talk to you for a moment  
_

_Hello Hello I might stutter a little, though  
_

_Who knows we might actually be together_

I looked at how Naruto would smile and laugh while dancing with Hinata, who was pressed up against him, afraid of falling off the edge of the table, and a warm sensation rose in my chest.

They looked so good together, the future golden couple. The ruffles on her little black dress fluttered in time with her swaying hips as she and Naruto were living probably the best time of their lives.

_It's harder when everyone else says something different (You can't believe it right?)  
_

_Having high standards, this isn't a usual thing for me  
_

_Please believe in me yeah  
_

_Will there be a day when I hug her freely  
_

_I believe that what we think can come true_

The upbeat music flowed through my veins and I started dancing by myself. Ino was off somewhere else, probably flirting with Shikamaru. I didn't care that I was one of the few girls dancing by

herself; it just seemed like a more public show of independence, especially when a girl is a good dancer. I had a strong passion for dance, and learned hip-hop a few years ago.

The song had changed to BoA's Eat You Up, and fortunately for me, I knew the choreography.

_When I first saw you I knew that nothing's like it used to be_

_Boy, you have got to be the finest thing in history_

_The way I feel inside is just so hard to understand_

_You feed my appetite in ways I can't explain_

The crowd had begun to form a big circle around me as I popped and twisted. A surge of powerful adrenaline coursed through my entire body, the energy refreshing my brain. _This is where I stand. This _

_is my way. Just watch, you hoes know nothing about me._

With each lash, turn, kick, and twist of my body, I grew more and more confident, smirking at everyone's gaping mouths. I was growing _too _confident, but I couldn't stop the flowing energy pumping

through my being. Dancing was my expression, it showed the true me, so why would I want to stop? I didn't care that Sasuke had jumped in and started dancing the partner work part with me,-_wait, _

_Sasuke is dancing with me?_

I questioned him with my widened eyes as we advanced backwards and forwards with complicated footwork. He merely gave me that arrogant smirk of his, his obsidian eyes fixated on mine.

_I want to take you to my room_

_I'll eat you up_

_I want to take you to my room_

_I'll eat you up, so yum yum  
_

_Can't get enough, I think I'm in love_

We spun apart, dancing individually for the rest of the song. My heart was pounding, and blood was rushing to my head. _Why did he do that? Just for the fun of it? Nah, Sasuke isn't like that...  
_

_I'll eat you up_

_I'll eat you up_

_I'll eat you up_

I struck a pose, putting my weight on my left leg. I felt a light breeze as Sasuke slowed down. The crowd cheered wildly, and I half-heartedly smiled at them before following Sasuke to the couches,

each of us grabbing a coke along the way.

"Sasuke, why did you do that?" I asked curiously. He stared at me before opening his can of coke.

"Hn. Does it matter?" I furrowed my brows. _DID_ _it matter?_

"Um, yeah. It kind of does. You were invading my moment with the crowd!"

"You like performing in front of those idiots?" Sasuke raised a smooth, dark eyebrow as he sipped from his drink. Anger bubbled up in me when that blunt question escaped his soft lips. _Soft lips? Snap _

_out of it, Sakura! _I put down my unopened drink and leaned back on the plush couch, crossing my ripped black legging covered legs and my arms over my metallic gray tank top covered chest.

"Psh, not them, but I love that feeling of exhilaration I get whenever I _do_ "perform" in front of a huge crowd of idiots. Besides, you danced in front of them too!" I looked away sulkily. He chuckled.

"You looked like you were having too much fun by yourself. Should I have not joined in with you then?" My head snapped back at him, my face turning a bright shade of pink.

"Wh-wh-wh-what did you say?" I sputtered, annoyed at how stupid I sounded. Sasuke smirked, his gaze sliding to my blushing face, amused.

"Nothing."

_I wanna hold you tight _

_never let go_

_Cause your love's like magic, presto_

_Girl let's tangle up like a pretzel_

_Kamasutra love 'em baby let's go_

_Girl I put you in a trance like Tiesto_

_But I ain't talking about t-t-techno_

I felt the an annoying urge in my mind and my body, a thrill that itched for me to go out and dance the night away. But I forced myself to not jump up. Unfortunately, my foot began tapping and my

head began bobbing up and down to the beat of The Black Eyed Peas' XOXOXO.

"Sakura, my youthful blossom, will you dance with me?" A guy with a bowlcut asked politely, appearing out of nowhere. _Oh shit. It's Rock Lee._

Panic booted through my brain. I didn't want to dance slash _grind _with Rock Lee. The guy was really nice, but his caterpillar eyebrows scared me and his crush on me was really a one-sided thing.

I gasped. _That sounds like me and Sasuke..._

I sighed, looking up at Lee from behind my bangs. I forced a smile on my face, took his hand and tried to get to the dance floor, which was really the floor of a (previously) empty room that the Uchihas

never used.

Emphasis on _tried. _When I attempted to walk away from my seat, a soft but callused hand shot out and grabbed my wrist, tugging at it. I was so surprised that I lost my balance and fell on that

person whose hand gripped my wrist-

Sasuke.

Great.

Blushing, I shifted, trying to decipher what our (probably awkward) position was. I held in a soft gasp as I realized that his hand was still on my wrist, its firm hold relaxed but not limp. I landed on him

in a spooning position, lying on his (hot) body, my hair spread out like a fan just under the crook of his neck, his other hand on my waist. Tingles of the body contact shot through me like clashing

electricity and water. Frozen, I meekly looked up at him. What I saw made my jaw drop and my eyes widen.

His onyx eyes were a turmoil of negativity, piercing through his object of anger in front of him. I looked in front of me at a mildly pale Lee, who was as or even more, frozen, than I was. The people

nearby, including Karin, watched as the scene unfolded before them. _Is shit about to go down between Sasuke and Lee? _

The people that were dancing paid no attention to us, of which I was glad. _God, this is so embarrasing. _I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping that this situation will be over by the time I reopen them.

"She's with me."

I opened my eyes in shock, blinking furiously. _Huh? Did I hear that right?_

Lee broke out of his stupor, a new determined shine glazing over in his big, dull, dark eyes. _Aw, shit._

"No, Sakura is with me! That girl is a youthful beauty that should not be wasting time on an unyouthful guy such as yourself! Pardon me if I offended you, Sasuke-san, but I will NOT give up my

youthful flower!" Lee gently grasped my free wrist and pulled me up. Sasuke's arms shot out, pulling me back down by the waist. I squeaked in embarrassment. _Two_ guys fighting over me? I thought

that only happened in movies! I tried to shift out of Sasuke's arms, but his grip only tightened. A burning sensation shot through me, and I barely covered my sudden exhaling gasp. I glanced at Lee

sheepishly, shrugging shyly. He seemed to got the message since that determined glaze faded and his expression dropped a little. But just a second later, those bushy brows raised up as he flashed

a blinding smile at me.

_Ow. _

"Do not worry, my youthful Sakura! I will win you over next time, as I know when I am defeated. I will see you soon, my beauty!" Lee raised a thumb up, before backing off into the active crowd.

Sasuke merely grunted, and gently pushed me off his lap, focusing on his unfinished can of Coke. The air between us was so tense, I just meekly looked down at my hands. The people who were

watching the scenario that just took place slowly turned back to their own focused targets, their attention drifting away from us.

Feebly, I looked at Sasuke out of the corner of my eye. He was staring directly at me, his chicken-ass hair gleaming under the lighting. Caught off guard, I jumped out of my seat, sending myself

tumbling to the floor. Oh, _smooth_, Sakura. Chuckles echoed around me as my face heated up. Sasuke smirked down at me from over the edge of the couch.

"Clumsy."

"No, shit!" I retorted sarcastically, standing up and resuming my former seating position on the plush furniture. With renewed strength, I turned my body fully towards Sasuke and looked at him dead

in the eye. The bastard didn't even blink.

"Why did you do that?"

"Hn."

That was not good enough for me. _C'mon, _I really needed to know if what he did was what I _think_ it meant! I blew at my bangs in annoyance. He _has_ to have a pretty good reason for doing what he

did!

A little part of me shrank as I was preparing for the worst. Is this a premonition?

"Just tell me! Why did you not let me dance with Rock Lee? And you know I'm not going to let this go until you just tell me." Sasuke scowled at me before setting down his coke and leaning back on the

plush leather. He opened his mouth, but then he shut it. Sighing, he opened his mouth again.

"I wanted to annoy him." My heart sank.

"Oh." The stiffness of the strength I had strongly felt disappeared, and the back of my eyes pricked. _He just felt like making fun of Lee?_

I need to get out of here. Now.

"Excuse me, Sasuke." My voice carried out in a trembling whisper. I stood up and ran into the crowd, weaving gracefully between the people before Sasuke could stop me. I ran and ran, until I crashed

right into a hard chest.

Tears still not falling, I looked up to see a shock of blood-red hair. I collapsed into the strangers' arms.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" The stranger asked, alarmed. He rubbed my back in soothing circular motions, and gradually, I calmed down.

I need a break from the presence of that boy who always sends me mixed signals.

I'm afraid that if I don't get one soon, I'm going to break.

**

* * *

****A/N: Why is Sakura so depressed about this? I know that Sasuke's mixed signals thing was a minor case, but Sakura was really hopeful and so the heartbreak. Once again. Plus, she's a pretty gullible character in this fanfic. Don't worry, this story won't end trageically. It will get better the next chapter so, just wait! OH, AND REVIEW! NOT JUST STORY ALERT! OR I WON'T UPDATE UNTIL LIKE NEXT YEAR! Kthxbai**


	6. Being There

**Hey, everyone! Sorry for not updating sooner; I had finals in the month of January so I was really busy and didn't have the time to write the next chapter but...**

**Guess who the red haired guy was!**

**Disclaimer: I DON'T FUCKING OWN NARUTO, KAY?**

**._. LOL sorry, had to get that out in the most violent way possible. *Stares at hole in the wall* LMFAO JUST KIDDING!**

**REVIEW AT THE END PLEASE :D**

"I'm sorry Gaara, I was barfing up tears all over your shirt," I apologized sheepishly, looking away as his intense light green eyes gazed at me calmly. Gaara was one of my more distant friends, since he doesn't hang out with my group and often hung around with his siblings, Temari and Kankuro. I haven't talked to him since the summer, when I had seen him around in the city shops with random girls and guys. I secretly fear him because of his mysterious appearance and demeanor, but I know him well enough to say that he is a safe person-

So far.

The muffled pounding of music from inside the Uchiha household drifted to my ears.

_These fancy things_

_Will never come in between_

_You're my entity_

_Therefore infinity_

_When the war has taken its part_

_When the world has dealt its cuts_

_Together we'll mend your heart_

He lifted up his pale and slender fingers and tousled his fiery red hair subconsciously, revealing the whole form of his peculiar " 爱"tattoo on his forehead, which meant love.

_You can stand under my umbrella_

_You can stand under my umbrella, ella ella ella, eh-eh-eh-eh_

_Under my umbrella, ella ella ella, eh-eh-eh_

"It's fine," he said with a tired sigh, his intense stare sliding downward to the ground. A placid silence settled between us as we looked up at the stars in the thick, black, night sky. We were sitting on the Uchiha's neatly-trimmed lawn after the recent Uchiha fiasco. I scowled unknowingly, closing my eyes and resting my head on my knees.

_When the sun shines we'll shine together_

_Told you I'll be here forever_

_Said I'll always be your friend_

_Sticking out until the end_

_Now that it's raining more then ever_

_Told you we will still have each other _

_You can stand under my umbrella_

_You can stand under my umbrella, ella, ella, eh-eh-eh _

"You want to talk about why you were crying?" Gaara asked monotonously, his eyes never leaving the stars. I shrugged, not knowing what to say.

"It's okay you know. I mean, if you don't want to talk about it. Don't let it eat you up on the inside though..." I looked over at Gaara's face, startled. _He's giving me advice? Talk about out of character. The supposedly emo boy telling me how to deal with stuff like this...not that he knows anything about it though. _

A slow and genuine smile spread on my moon-lit face.

"Thanks, Gaara."

"Hn."

I giggled out loud, casting a glance at the quiet boy beside me before scooting closer to him, resting on his shoulder. I felt him tense up, but he relaxed just as immediately.

Forget Sasuke. If I had cute and secretly genuine guys like Gaara who got my back, why should I cry over some stupid and not-so-mighty Uchiha jerk?

Don't tell him I said that.

As if on cue to my thoughts, the hairs on the back of my neck prickled, and hesitantly, I looked over my shoulder at the Uchiha household. It felt like someone was watching me but there were so many people interacting outside and inside of the mansion, so I shrugged it off and returned my attention to Gaara's shoulder.

"You okay?"

I glanced at his iridescent green eyes.

"Yeah."

_You can stand under my umbrella ella,ella, eh-eh-eh_

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Now onto the next chapter...**


	7. Denial Part One

**Thanks for the reviews! I'm sorry for not updating in a while...:( I'M SORRYY! But please review :) It makes me feel lovveedd. **

**I actually started on this right after the most recently updated chapter but I neglect ed it for awhile...but here it is!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

* * *

"SAKURAHARUNOWHYDIDN'TYOUTELLME?" An extremely loud voice bellowed from the entrance of the hallway. Heads turned towards the entrance where a tall girl was standing akimbo, feet planted firmly to the floor, one hand clutching an iPhone, the shiny screen reflecting the light that bounced off the windows above the lockers. In an instant, Ino's brand new iPhone 4 was shoved into my face.

"What is it? " I asked irritably, trying to claw the phone away from my face. Ino moved her phone to level my viridian eyes, and they widened while my jaw went slack.

* * *

No Sasuke?

By Karin Watanabe

Last night's party held at the Uchiha's was a blast! Sorry for those who missed out. The DJ was playing the newest hit songs from the US and South Korea, the

served food and beverages were of the highest quality, appealing to the taste buds, and everyone had fun. 2nd years Most-Likely-To-Be-A-Future-Couple Sakura

Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha danced to BoA's 2008 hit single Eat You Up, and the crowd went wild. Oh, but what's this? Towards the end of the party, Haruno and the

notorious Sabaku were spotted on the front lawn, sitting close to each other,in a sweet moment of shared warmth. Hey, where's the Uchiha? Hmm, seems like

Haruno has a wandering eye...girls, looks like he's available!

* * *

"Forehead, you better tell me that this isn't true," Ino demanded, moving the iPhone away from my shocked face. I blinked, a scowl making its way to victory.

" He was just being there last night, since the fucking Uchiha played me. Ugh, and Karin...that whore! Who invited her anyway?" I growled, clenching my fists.

"She crashed the party. Wait, what did you mean that he played you?" Ino's azure eyes narrowed.

Sighing, I towed Ino to the girl's bathroom. Checking to make sure there wasn't anybody in the stalls, I told Ino everything.

"Oh, my GOD that in-denial MAN-BITCH!" she fumed, stuffing her poor phone harshly into her Poppy Dream C Glam Coach tote.

"I have to agree with you- um, what do you mean in denial?" I said, puzzled. "Sasuke doesn't like me, I'm sure of it." I adjusted the strap of my black Guess bag on my shoulder.

Ino huffed out, "You guys need to make out or something." I blushed furiously, craving to bonk Ino on her blonde head.

"Shut up."

* * *

Whispers floated all around my consciousness as I walk down the hallway to class. I knew what they were talking about, and and I felt an incredible urge to break into a sprint, but I calmed myself slightly, and held my head up. I rounded the corner and-KABLOOOSHHHHOOMASHHHHHH! Just kidding! I didn't run into Sasuke, but it was also someone I did not want to see at the moment.

"Oh hey, Gaara," I greeted, eyes cast downward.

"Hey."

Silence. I fidgeted and sweated before my feet started to move.

"Uhhh I'll see you later!" I called out as I was already power walking away from him. I could feel his confused eyes boring holes at me all the way to Kakashi's homeroom.

Opening the door, I gloomily dragged myself to my seat. Sasuke was sitting idly a few seats away from me, looking out the window. I plunked down and sighed a long sigh. He turned his head to stare at me blankly. I stared back, forgetting about last night's incident for a moment. He scoffed, straightening his posture as Kakashi-sensei walked in. I stuck out my tongue at him at the moment he looked away. _Bastard. _

"SAKURA-CHAAAN!" yelled Naruto from across the room. I raised my eyebrows at him. _What?_ I mouthed.

"I WANTED TO SAY HI!" He waved frantically and beamed. Now everybody was looking at me, some amused, and some annoyed. I gave them the finger. Kakashi coughed. I lowered my hand sheepishly.

"Okay class, today we're going to-" BAM. The door slammed open, and Karin bitch-face strutted in in all her cocky and smug glory. Sasuke noticeably slouched in his seat. What's she up to _now_?

"Excuse me Kakashi-sensei, I need to talk to Sakura-_chan_,if you don't mind." The suffix was enunciated sarcastically. Like Sasuke, I slouched further in my seat, but I automatically straightened as Karin, who didn't even wait for Kakashi-sensei's answer, strutted to my desk, and stood right in front of me, one hip cocked.

"Uh-we are starting class now, Karin," Kakashi-sensei drolled. Karin ignored him.

"Listen here, Sakura, don't go playing around Sasuke's heart like that you bitch! Not that he would ever like you anyway. So I advise you to step down like the weak baby you are, or the consequences will be fatal. Got that?"

What the fuck?

I could feel my blood boiling. I knew that Sasuke didn't like me that wya, but does she need to rub it in? And me? Playing around HIS heart? BULLSHIT!

I was just about to tell her off until someone, whose voice was a smooth and deep bass, interrupted me.

" Don't talk to her like that, " said Sasuke, who was eying Karin warily. My insides melted slightly despite my anger.

Karin gasped out, " But she played you! She doesn't deserve you the way I do!" I clenched my teeth.

" STAY AWAY FROM HIM YOU SLUT!" yelled Naruto.

"Yeah! If you stop harassing Sakura AND Sasuke, I might JUST spare you!" threatened Ino.

Karin knew she was being ganged up. With a loud sniff, she turned around and walked out the door, nearly tripping over her four inch heels. Snickers erupted. Kakashi-sensei's eyes crinkled. I rubbed my temples tiredly.

"Now that THAT'S over...you guys have an assignment.," Kakashi-sensei said. I listened expectantly while everyone else groaned.

"You will be paired up with one other person, and your assignment is to take care of a younger child for a two months..." Seriously? A babysitting assignment? I'M SO IN! I whooped inwardly, giddy and eager to get this assignment started because I love children so much. _I wonder what it would be like being the mother of Sasuke's child...STOPTHETHOUGHTPROCESSSAKURA!_

"Here are the assigned partners-Ino Yamanaka and Shikamaru Nara." Ino squealed, and Shikamaru smiled lazily before falling asleep on his desk.

"Hinata Hyuuga and Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto whipped around and gave Hinata a bright smile. She fainted. Panicked, Naruto ran over and checked to see if she was okay.

"Hinata...?" Naruto gently shook her. Hesitantly, Hinata opened her pale eyes. Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her. Surprised, Hinata hugged him back gently. I smiled at their cute display of affection. _If only Sasuke was like that too..._No. Don't think about it, Sakura. I distinctly heard Kakashi call out more names.

"And, Sakura Haruno with Sasuke Uchiha."

What? I l glared at Sasuke as if it was his fault, which it wasn't. He smirked.

Oh Kami. Someone save me now.

**I PROMISE you that the next chapter will be longer and will be updated by next week. Please review!**

**Oh, and any ideas? I sorta lost the inspiration and motivation...but I really want to finish this story, probably in about 4 chapters. **


	8. Denial Part 2Maybe,Maybe

**A/N: Um...yeah, I'm back. It's been more than a week, eh? -_- I'm soooorrryyyy D:**

**By the way, how many of you went to the Harry Potter Midnight premier? I know I didn't, sadly. Buuut I'm going today in the afternoon, and I am sooo excited! Anyway...**

**Thanks to the people who gave me really good ideas-(that's you MePinkGirl!) I am so grateful. In fact, your ideas inspired a little something...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I can never be that genius.**

* * *

"My house or your house?" I asked Sasuke wearily.

"My house. Bigger lawn for the kid." I nodded sullenly.

Honestly, since that party, things have been really tense, or maybe it was just me. I still couldn't forgive him for playing me like that. I know that I suck being his best friend-being in love with him and all, but karma didn't have to flick me off like that.

_It wasn't like I wanted to be in love with him._

Why isn't anything shitty happening to him? He rejected me in the rain, his subtle actions boosted my hope up in a totally hopeless situation—and I actually let myself cling to hope, and he brutally killed my self-esteem that day a few years ago, when I was an innocent and naive goody-two-shoes.

Biting my lip hard at the painful memory, I dragged myself out the school doors, following Sasuke home.

"What do you think the kid we get assigned to will look like?" I asked nervously, attempting to make conversation with this mute guy.

"Hn, I don't know."

I frowned at his short reply. Geez, born to be a conversationalist, yes?

"Well, do you know when that stick is going to pop out of your ass?"

"...What?" He stopped walking, turning around to face me, a flicker of surprise in his eyes before his expression settled into a glare.

My eyes widened and I clapped my hands over my mouth. Oh shoot, did I really say that out loud?

Sasuke's glare froze me in my place.

"I didn't say anything!" I said behind my hands. Because my response was blocked by my hands, it came out as "ienfaynyningf!" Sasuke stalked towards me, brows furrowed. Frozen, I watched as he reached forward- to slap me? Pinch me? Pat my head?

He removed my hands from my mouth, leaning down so his breath fanned my face. Oh god, I'm going to die from the lack of oxygen and holy shit- his eyes are like the calm before the storm and I'm babbling and freaking out-

Soft lips pressed against mine.

And everything went black.

* * *

When I woke up, I was in a room that I was only vaguely familiar with. White walls, navy blue curtains, navy blue bedsheets and bed covers, various trophies on polished hardwood shelves and medals hung up on the walls-

Sasuke's room. Huh.

SASUKE'S ROOM? How did I end up here? Squeezing my eyes shut, the memories of the moment just before I had fainted-

My first kiss. With Sasuke. And I liked it. A lot.

Oh Kami.

But...

Why?

The door opened, and the heavy but quick footsteps snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up, and my veridian eyes locked onto obsidian ones.

Gulping, I muttered, "Hey." I blushed as the memory of our kiss flooded my mind again.

"Hn. You fainted," Sasuke said, an underlying tone of irritation seeping through his words. I blushed even harder. Was he irritated because my fainting interrupted the moment? No, that can't be it.

Approaching footsteps neared my bed, and I forced myself to look up, my eyes drifting to the glass of water Sasuke held in his hand.

"Here."

I took the glass and muttered a quiet 'thank you'. Now that I think about it, I was pretty thirsty. I gulped down the water in a couple of swigs. Sasuke took the glass and set it on his study desk. He pulled out the desk chair, swiveling it backwards before sitting down, resting his head and arms on the back of the chair.

Ohcrapohcrapohcrap not so close! I clenched at the bed covers to stop my shaking hands.

"S-Sasuke, why am I here?" I managed to ask despite the slight tremor in my voice.

"Your parents would have freaked out if I carried your fainted body to their door."

I giggled, "Oh right, I forgot about that."

A silence ensued and I stared at my now relaxed hands.

"You know, I don't like Gaara," I blurted out randomly, my face heating up. _What are you doing, __Sakura?_

"I know."

My eyes widened in shock and I looked up at him just in time to see a flicker of amusement in his dark eyes.

Sasuke stood up, stretching. His shirt lifted slightly to reveal smooth abs. My breath caught in my throat as I let the hormones take over for a split second. _So hot! _

"Well, if you're feeling better now, you should go home before your parents freak out over your absence," Sasuke said, walking out the door, expecting me to follow. _Well, The Almighty Uchiha, wait_ _for me will you? _I gritted my teeth, climbing out of his oh-so-comfortable-and-big bed and skipping out the door.

I lightly trotted after him, climbing down the long spiral staircase.'t

"Wait! Why did you kiss me?" I asked breathlessly.

His steps falter slightly. Smirking, he muttered lowly, "You're annoying." A vein throbbed in my big forehead.

"Hey, I heard that you jerk!"

With a chuckle and a murmured 'good-bye', Sasuke shut the door in my face.

* * *

"Alright, everyone! Your "assignment", children aged between three to eight, will be arriving shortly from the Konoha Orphanage. Please refrain from cursing around them and keep your behavior in check—that means _you, _Naruto," Kakashi announced above the chatter. Naruto grinned sheepishly, scratching his head. Hinata started fidgeting nervously.

*Knock knock*

"Oh, they're here-" Kakashi says while walking to open the classroom door. Immediately, the classroom was filled with a new kind of chatter. Energetic boys and girls of a younger age group entered the classroom in a mob-like order. I leaned forward in my seat, excited for the assignment.

An old, wrinkly lady walked in after, smiling at Kakashi before turning her attention to the class.

"Hello, I am the caretaker for these wonderful children, and in a short while I will be leaving, but I wanted to make sure that the children can find their 'parents," she said in a a kind and rather strong voice. The lady turned towards Kakashi-sensei again, nodding for the assignment to start.

_I'm a parent with Sasuke! _My inner mentality cooed.

Ahem.

Well, hopefully this could be a chance for me to finally chew him out for playing with my feelings...

I scowled at the memory. Brushing it off aside for now, I looked at the front of the room as kid by kid got called out to a specific pair of older students.

"And for Sasuke and Sakura, Etsuo Satoe." I scrambled out of my seat, trying not to look so eager. I heard Sasuke scoff, but I ignored him as we both walked to the front of the room, where the last kid, a small boy with jet black hair and light green eyes, waited sullenly, a giant stuffed bunny clutched tightly in his grasp.I approached him first, a smile brightening up as I saw how cute he was.

I greeted him excitedly,"Hello Etsuo, I'm Sakura and this guy here is Sasuke, and we'll be your 'parents' for this great activity your caretaker and our sensei and the school created for us. We're going to have the most absolute fun for the upcoming months!" Sasuke shifted his weight when the word 'parents' rolled off my tongue. Etsuo looked up at me with curious eyes, and slowly, the most beautiful smile lighted his whole face.

Shyly, he asked, "Are we going to play a lot?"

"Of course! Right, Sasuke-kun?" I verified innocently, an underlying tone of mockery directed at Sasuke. He grunted in response, shoving his hands into his pant pockets, his lips forming a stiff line.

Etsuo studied him carefully.

"Sasuke-niisan, Sakura-neechan is very pretty, don't you think so?" I gasped softly and blushed at the compliment in his sentence. _Kawaii~_I giggled inwardly. I looked to Sasuke for his reaction, smiling at him when his face showed signs of surprise before settling into a thoughtful expression.

"Maybe she is, maybe she isn't, I can't tell."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, UCHIHA?"

Dodging my blows, Sasuke looked at the kid and winked.

He winked.

What was that about?

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! :) I have a poll on my page and it's called "Should I Put 'Next To You' on Hiatus?" I will really appreciate it if you guys checked it out. Please review! I will love you guys for all eternity x3**


	9. I will come back soon

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

Hey guys!_ I'M ALIVE._

I haven't been writing AT ALL because I've been banned from writing stories on for almost a whole year. My parents thought it distracted me and so…yeah the reason for my disappearance. I'm sorry for not updating for sooooooo long! I still have my AP exams to take this week so I won't be writing until after the school year is over and before I start studying for the SATS in the summer. Until then, hold on tight please! Love you guys :D

LovexxxSakuraUchiha


	10. Discontinued forever

**A/N:**

This is looong overdue… I wrote a few more chapters for Next To You and the last chapter for this shorter story BUT my computer crashed a looong time ago and I gave up writing stories because I realized I didn't like writing them….

I broke my promise to come back and that doesn't sit well with me except I know that a lot of writers have faced this obstacle and frankly, I don't care about my stories anymore.

To be honest, it's more difficult for me to edit my own work—am I the only one with this problem?

Anyway, I still love to read and I also love editing other people's work, especially after taking SAT classes; they've helped me a lot BUT I have no interest in being a beta though so don't contact me. I don't spend that much time on fanfiction anymore so neither of us gain/loses anything.

I'm sorry to my readers you guys waited for me to update but writing isn't working for me anymore—it was my hobby until some personal conflicts came up. Now I'm older and I've found my true calling in other areas.

I should have posted this author's note as soon as I knew I was hitting a major writer's block but excuses are lame, and I apologize for being lazy.

I'm still around to read fanfiction, so you might see my username pop up somewhere.

I'm a senior in high school now and my main hobbies now include watching Asian dramas, singing, learning Korean, frolicking at the beach, etc~~

Bye guys!


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